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Rules

As of today, we are planning to do in-person judging which will require 2 bottles per entry. To ensure we have enough judges, we will be limiting the total entries in this year's comp to 575

 

Eligibility

Open to all amateur homebrewers 21 years of age and older. Beers must be entered under the name of all brewers who helped. Beers brewed in commercial facilities are ineligible.

Entry Fees

Drunk Monk Challenge and Menace of the Monastery entries are $12 each. Entry fees are paid via PayPal.

NOTE: After paying entry fees on the Paypal website, be sure to click the link to "Return to the Drunk Monk Challenge" website to make sure your entries are noted as "paid" in the sysytem.

Categories

  • The 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines will be followed.
  • One entry per subcategory per brewer or co-brewer/brewing team.  This is strictly enforced. Multiple entries in the same subcategory for a given brewer or brewing team (regardless of name order) will be disqualified.
  • The competition committee reserves the right to combine categories based on number of entries. All possible efforts will be made to combine similar styles. All beers in combined categories will be judged according to the style entered.

 

Menace of The Monastery (MoM) Sub-Competition

The Menace of the Monastery celebrates beer styles which can be traced to the monastic brewing traditions of Belgium and Germany. This unique competition is judged separately within the Drunk Monk Challenge. Menace of the Monastery beers do not make the Best of Show competition for the Drunk Monk Challenge, although an equivalent award will be given to the winner of the MoM competition!

We will judge MoM similar to a Best of Style round where the judges will simultaneously sample all entries. The judges will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals. If we can can get enough judges, we may change the format to provide some irreverant feedback. To be guaranteed feedback, please consider entering the regular category instead of MoM.

Special brew categories are assigned in the software for Menace of the Monastery (MOM) entries and subcategorization. Register MOM entries using these special categories and, if necessary, please specify in the comments section what style of beer you are entering. 

MoM entries do not need to count against your maximum entry count. If you would like to enter the maximum number of entries, you can still enter the MoM. Here are the steps:

- Pay your $12 entry fee via PayPal to dmc-treasurer@knaves.org entering "Menace of the Monestary" in the description. 

- Send an email to drunkmonkchallenge@gmail.com (or use the contact form)

- We will confirm your payment and add your entry manually

Only 1 bottle/can will be required for MoM, while 2 bottles will be required for the regular categories.

 

Deadlines

Ship or deliver your entries so as to arrive between February 12th and March 1st.

No walk-in entries allowed.

Giving Back to the Community


 


Each year, the Urban Knaves of Grain Homebrew Club likes to give a little back to the community. This year, a portion of the competition proceeds will be donated to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. 

The vision at Northern Illinois Food Bank is for everyone in Northern Illinois to have the food they need to thrive. A nonprofit organization and proud member of Feeding America, Northern Illinois Food Bank serves our neighbors in 13 counties with dignity, equity and convenience, providing 250,000 meals a day. They bring together manufacturers, local and corporate grocers, area farmers, corporations, foundations, and individuals who donate food and funding, and each week nearly 1,000 volunteers help them evaluate, repack, and distribute food. They also proudly partner with more than 900 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and youth and senior feeding programs to provide nutritious food and resources. Their distribution centers are located in Geneva, Park City, Rockford and Joliet.

 

 

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BJCP 2021 Judging Styles

If a style's name is hyperlinked, it has specific entry requirements. Select or tap on the name to view the subcategory's requirements.

1A American Light Lager1B American Lager1C Cream Ale
1D American Wheat Beer2A International Pale Lager2B International Amber Lager
2C International Dark Lager3A Czech Pale Lager3B Czech Premium Pale Lager
3C Czech Amber Lager3D Czech Dark Lager4A Munich Helles
4B Festbier4C Helles Bock5A German Leichtbier
5B Kölsch5C German Helles Exportbier5D German Pils
6A Märzen6B Rauchbier6C Dunkels Bock
7A Vienna Lager7B Altbier8A Munich Dunkel
8B Schwarzbier9A Doppelbock 9B Eisbock
9C Baltic Porter10A Weissbier10B Dunkels Weissbier
10C Weizenbock 11A Ordinary Bitter11B Best Bitter
11C Strong Bitter12A British Golden Ale12B Australian Sparkling Ale
12C English IPA13A Dark Mild13B British Brown Ale
13C English Porter14A Scottish Light14B Scottish Heavy
14C Scottish Export15A Irish Red Ale15B Irish Stout
15C Irish Extra Stout16A Sweet Stout16B Oatmeal Stout
16C Tropical Stout16D Foreign Extra Stout17A British Strong Ale
17A1 Burton Ale17B Old Ale17C Wee Heavy
17D English Barley Wine18A Blonde Ale18B American Pale Ale
19A American Amber Ale19B California Common19C American Brown Ale
20A American Porter20B American Stout20C Imperial Stout
21A American IPA21B Specialty IPA 21B1 Belgian IPA
21B2 Black IPA 21B3 Brown IPA 21B4 Red IPA
21B5 Rye IPA 21B6 White IPA 21B7 Brut IPA
21C Hazy IPA22A Double IPA22B American Strong Ale
22C American Barleywine22D Wheatwine23A Berliner Weisse
23B Flanders Red Ale23C Oud Bruin23D Lambic
23E Gueuze23F Fruit Lambic 23G Gose
24A Witbier24B Belgian Pale Ale24C Bière de Garde
25A Belgian Blond Ale25B Saison 25C Belgian Golden Strong Ale
26A Belgian Single26B Belgian Dubbel26C Belgian Tripel
26D Belgian Dark Strong Ale27A Historical Beer 27A1 Kellerbier
27A2 Kentucky Common27A3 Lichtenhainer27A4 London Brown Ale
27A5 Piwo Grodziskie27A6 Pre-Prohibition Lager27A7 Pre-Prohibition Porter
27A8 Roggenbier27A9 Sahti28A Brett Beer
28B Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer 28C Wild Specialty Beer 28D Straight Sour Beer
29A Fruit Beer 29B Fruit and Spice Beer 29C Specialty Fruit Beer
29D Grape Ale 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer 30B Autumn Seasonal Beer
30C Winter Seasonal Beer 30D Specialty Spice Beer 31A Alternative Grain Beer
31B Alternative Sugar Beer 32A Classic Style Smoked Beer 32B Specialty Smoked Beer
33A Wood-Aged Beer 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer 34A Commercial Specialty Beer
34B Mixed-Style Beer 34C Experimental Beer 44A MoM Dopplebock (9A) (Custom Style)
45A MoM Eisbock (9B) (Custom Style)46A MoM Belgian Pale Ale (24B) (Custom Style)47A MoM Belgian Blond Ale (25A) (Custom Style)
48A MoM Belgian Golden Strong Ale (25C) (Custom Style)49A MoM Trappist Single (26A) (Custom Style)50A MoM Belgian Dubbel (26B) (Custom Style)
51A MoM Belgian Dark Strong Ale (26D) (Custom Style)52A MoM Belgian Trippel (26C) (Custom Style)C1A New World Cider
C1B English Cider C1C French Cider C1D New World Perry
C1E Traditional Perry C2A New England Cider C2B Cider with Other Fruit
C2C Applewine C2D Ice Cider C2E Cider with Herbs/Spices
C2F Specialty Cider/Perry LSX1 Dorada PampeanaLSX2 IPA Argenta
LSX3 Italian Grape Ale LSX4 Catharina Sour LSX5 New Zealand Pilsner
M1A Dry Mead M1B Semi-Sweet Mead M1C Sweet Mead
M2A Cyser M2B Pyment M2C Berry Mead
M2D Stone Fruit Mead M2E Melomel M3A Fruit and Spice Mead
M3B Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Mead M4A Braggot M4B Historical Mead
M4C Experimental Mead   

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Number of Bottles Required Per Entry: 2

Judging Sessions and Dates

Tuesday Session - Church Street
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 6:30 PM, CST

Wednesday Session - Two Brothers Roundhouse
Wednesday, March 6, 2024 6:30 PM, CST

Thursday Session - Church Street
Thursday, March 7, 2024 6:30 PM, CST

Friday Early Afternoon
Friday, March 8, 2024 2:00 PM, CST

Friday Late Afternoon
Friday, March 8, 2024 4:00 PM, CST

Friday Evening
Friday, March 8, 2024 6:30 PM, CST

Saturday Session 1
Saturday, March 9, 2024 9:30 AM, CST

Saturday Session 2
Saturday, March 9, 2024 12:00 PM, CST

Menace of the Monastery
Saturday, March 9, 2024 2:30 PM, CST

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Best of Show

There will be custom-made wooden mugs for Best of Show in Beer, Meads/Ciders, and winner of the Menace of the Monastery. 

Best of Show Mugs

 

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Awards

 

 2024 DMC Medals - artist rendering

The 2024 DMC Medals (artist rendering)

  Photo: Are you ready to medal? The Drunk Monk Challenge is coming in March!

The Awards Table (click to see a larger version)

 

Medals will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each qualifying category and for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Best of Show in both beer and mead/cider categories.

DMC Prize Raffle

This year we'll be returning to a full raffle that will be open to all judges, stewards, and the public. We'll open up the room we're in after all the table judging. We already have some great prizes from our sponsors, and there will be lots of great stuff to win.

 

 

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Awards Ceremony

Two Brothers Roundhouse and Drunk Monk Challenge Facebook page.
205 N Broadway, Aurora, IL 60505
Saturday, March 9, 2024 6:00 PM, CST

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Circuit Qualification

MWHBOY-logo.jpg

A leg of The Midwest Homebrewer of the Year (MWHBOTY).  The Midwest Homebrewer of the Year competition selects the top homebrewer from the Midwest based upon points earned in participating competitions. The homebrewer with the highest Net Score at the end of year wins the title of "Midwest Homebrewer of the Year" and receives significant Prizes. Points are accumulated by winning 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in any of the homebrew competitions in the MWHBOTY Circuit. A brewer's accumulated points are multiplied by his winning percentage (his ratio of medals to entries) to calculate his Net score, upon which the competition's rankings are based.

To be eligible, a homebrewer must reside in one of the Midwest states listed on the site and must enter beer, mead, or cider in at least:

  • 4 participating circuit competitions
  • 10 unique BJCP categories

For a detailed description of the competition rules and the formula used to calculate a brewer's Net Score, please visit the Rules page on the website.

 

Master Homebrewer's Circuit of America logo

The competition representing Illinois in the Master Homebrewer Program's Circuit of America. The Circuit of America is a circuit combining the results from major independent homebrewing competitions across the United States, to award an overall National Champion Homebrewer.

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